A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulses
Abstract Ever since the mid-1960’s, locking the phases of modes enabled the generation of laser pulses of duration limited only by the uncertainty principle, opening the field of ultrafast science. In contrast to conventional lasers, mode spacing in random lasers is ill-defined because optical feedb...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44315-7 |
| _version_ | 1797363162577633280 |
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| author | Jean Pierre von der Weid Marlon M. Correia Pedro Tovar Anderson S. L. Gomes Walter Margulis |
| author_facet | Jean Pierre von der Weid Marlon M. Correia Pedro Tovar Anderson S. L. Gomes Walter Margulis |
| author_sort | Jean Pierre von der Weid |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Ever since the mid-1960’s, locking the phases of modes enabled the generation of laser pulses of duration limited only by the uncertainty principle, opening the field of ultrafast science. In contrast to conventional lasers, mode spacing in random lasers is ill-defined because optical feedback comes from scattering centres at random positions, making it hard to use mode locking in transform limited pulse generation. Here the generation of sub-nanosecond transform-limited pulses from a mode-locked random fibre laser is reported. Rayleigh backscattering from decimetre-long sections of telecom fibre serves as laser feedback, providing narrow spectral selectivity to the Fourier limit. The laser is adjustable in pulse duration (0.34–20 ns), repetition rate (0.714–1.22 MHz) and can be temperature tuned. The high spectral-efficiency pulses are applied in distributed temperature sensing with 9.0 cm and 3.3 × 10−3 K resolution, exemplifying how the results can drive advances in the fields of spectroscopy, telecommunications, and sensing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:17:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc41e169082147f19e16bc3f5a7a9c10 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:17:46Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc41e169082147f19e16bc3f5a7a9c102024-01-07T12:32:28ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-01-011511810.1038/s41467-023-44315-7A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulsesJean Pierre von der Weid0Marlon M. Correia1Pedro Tovar2Anderson S. L. Gomes3Walter Margulis4Centre for Telecommunication Studies, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de JaneiroCentre for Telecommunication Studies, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de JaneiroDepartment of Physics, University of OttawaDepartamento de Física, Universidade Federal de PernambucoCentre for Telecommunication Studies, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de JaneiroAbstract Ever since the mid-1960’s, locking the phases of modes enabled the generation of laser pulses of duration limited only by the uncertainty principle, opening the field of ultrafast science. In contrast to conventional lasers, mode spacing in random lasers is ill-defined because optical feedback comes from scattering centres at random positions, making it hard to use mode locking in transform limited pulse generation. Here the generation of sub-nanosecond transform-limited pulses from a mode-locked random fibre laser is reported. Rayleigh backscattering from decimetre-long sections of telecom fibre serves as laser feedback, providing narrow spectral selectivity to the Fourier limit. The laser is adjustable in pulse duration (0.34–20 ns), repetition rate (0.714–1.22 MHz) and can be temperature tuned. The high spectral-efficiency pulses are applied in distributed temperature sensing with 9.0 cm and 3.3 × 10−3 K resolution, exemplifying how the results can drive advances in the fields of spectroscopy, telecommunications, and sensing.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44315-7 |
| spellingShingle | Jean Pierre von der Weid Marlon M. Correia Pedro Tovar Anderson S. L. Gomes Walter Margulis A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulses Nature Communications |
| title | A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulses |
| title_full | A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulses |
| title_fullStr | A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulses |
| title_full_unstemmed | A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulses |
| title_short | A mode-locked random laser generating transform-limited optical pulses |
| title_sort | mode locked random laser generating transform limited optical pulses |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44315-7 |
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